How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Youtube Clip from "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" by Rob Ashford

(Courtesy: CountessKarma)

This blog post is a response to the post made by Ángel at http://angel-stagedoor.blogspot.com.

The cast of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" performs 'Brotherhood of Men' at the 85th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. After watching this clip, I was rather shocked to see Daniel Radcliffe take the lead role for a musical. I am not particularly a fan of Daniel Radcliffe, but this performance was well done and was a great showcase for the Frank Loesser adaptation. Despite being known for his role as Harry Potter in the Harry Potter movie series, he does a good job taking on the role of J Pierrepont Finch. He definitely has talent after working his way into the hearts of audiences with eight movies, and does a fair job with this performance. As adored as he is with fans, his singing needs improvement. As this is his first major musical, I am sure he will fine tune his voice for future performances. Aside from the criticism I believe this is a great opportunity for Radcliffe to put his hidden talents on display.

Having only seen a few Broadway musicals in my lifetime, I am not as qualified as others to fully critique the clip. The last show I saw was Larry David's "A Fish In The Dark" this past summer. What made it enjoyable was the cast, the underlying humor, and well developed plot. It was a show that I have recommended to others before and will continue to do so as I enjoyed it. So long as Ashford's new adaptation of the 1961 musical can meet similar standard, I am sure it can do well. Overall, I wish Radcliffe, Ashford and the rest of the "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" crew the best and hope they can exceed critics expectations.

Source: http://angel-stagedoor.blogspot.com/2016/01/another-opening-another-show-una.html

Wayang Kulit & Theatrical Performance

Wayang Kulit 's History Explained Video 

(Courtesy: Khatulistiwa.info at Vimeo.com)

Wayang Kulit, the Indonesian theatrical performance of shadow puppets, is deeply ingrained in the country's culture, history, and livelihood. It is so important that there are three specific regions where it has become infamous for this art form. Careers, theaters, and pass times have been created as a result of this cultural performance. Wayang Kulit can be used to describe the current social structure of Indonesia, give out sermons, and a medium of education as mentioned in the video. It can also be used as a medium for dispersing information to the people. It is seen as an ingenious cultural heritage of Indonesia and the world to many Indonesians, often synonymous with the identity of the country. 

In the video a man who now works as a Dalang, a shadow puppeteer, was taught since the age of three to master Wayang Kulit. As a Dalang he is expected to orchestrate the puppet movements in synchronization with the music and dialogue, as well as play instruments at the same time. According to the video, a single performance can use up to 400 different Wayangs, each with their own characteristics and distinct features that contribute to the storyline. 

Much like Wayang Kulit, American theater has shared its history with storytelling and performances. Puppet shows, marionettes, and films have been used to achieve many similar goals that the Indonesians seek with Wayang Kulit. Despite the low technological integration that the Indonesian theatrical performance has, it still requires a great amount of skill and has remained true to its origins. American theater unless specified as solely one type of show has evolved to a more contemporary style. This change has developed in order to satisfy the ever-changing interests of the American public. Adaptations from classic performances have now become common and most of the old styles are performed for a sense of nostalgia or urge for avant-garde trends.